Grontmij, formerly known as Whitelaw Turkington and architects Penoyre & Prasad won a design competition in 2006 run by Islington Council’s Children Services for a new £13 million primary school.
Willmott Dixon Construction appointed the multidisciplinary design team to see the project through to completion in September 2012.
The Crouch Hill development is a highly sensitive scheme and comprises Metropolitan Open Land, a Site of Metropolitan Significance for Nature Conservation and a local park. The site is adjacent to the Parkland Walk, a disused railway and a popular North London walking route between Finsbury Park and Highgate.
Ben Handley, associate from Grontmij, says: “The vision for the competition-winning design was to encompass the site as a whole, exploiting the potential of the new building to reconnect an underused and rather intimidating green space with its community. The project will strengthen bonds between the future site users – Ashmount School, Bowlers Nursery and the CAPE Youth Project.”
A derelict community centre and Bowlers Nursery which are currently on site will be sensitively demolished and replaced with a 420 student capacity school and new nursery.
The old sub station, a relic of the sites railway history, which currently houses the CAPE youth project will be refurbished and a new ecology centre incorporated within the building.
A new central green space will give the public access to out-of-hours community activities in the school including, a shared games court. New paths will link local housing and the Parkland Walk to attract visitors and improve safety.
Site challenges included the large number of existing trees, important habitats for foraging bats and breeding birds, extremely steep slopes, and the need to treat large stands of invasive Japanese Knotweed.
The whole site will become more permeable and accessible, with easy-access routes for wheelchairs, young children and parents with pushchairs. Paths through existing trees are designed as raised boardwalks, to ‘tread lightly’ through the site and a sensitive lighting strategy will improve community safety in key areas, while respecting bat foraging corridors.
Crouch Hill design combines state-of-the-art education with the highest sustainability credentials. Ashmount School will have a zero-carbon footprint in use and will be a learning tool for an innovative community-wide approach to low carbon energy.
Following the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) guidelines the proposed school is expected to achieve a BREEAM ‘outstanding’ rating.
Ben Handley, continues: “The anticipated BREEAM rating will reflect the participation of school students, Ashmount and Bowlers staff and CAPE’s young people in the design process.
“The input from local residents, the Ecology, Sustainability and Greenspace teams at Islington Council and other stakeholder groups has been invaluable in gaining the community’s support for a scheme which incorporates their unique needs.”
Annie Lennox, project director from Grontmij, comments: “The Grontmij team has been entranced by this place since our first visit. The sites steep slopes and edgy feel of nature reclaiming the remnants of industrial archaeology; it is a hidden gem and a revelation in inner London.
“We have been inspired by Crouch Hill’s design complexity – not only the significant physical constraints, but the multi-layered meanings the site has for its community of users and stakeholders.
“At Grontmij we have been fortunate to have a client who shares our passion and a contractor with a genuine commitment to sustainable development. Crouch Hill will be a place where Londoners reconnect and experience nature, bringing new meaning to future generations without sanitising its exceptional qualities’
Ends-
Issued by Beattie Communications, for further media information please contact Rowena Lee on 0113 213 0306 or rowena.lee@beattiegroup.com
Notes for Editor –
Grontmij’s landscape architects, formerly known as Whitelaw Turkington, are one of the UK’s leading firms of landscape architects and urban designers creating public realm environments which are a synthesis of art, environment and engineering and attracting the most talented people who are passionate about place making and care about people.
Established in 1991, Whitelaw Turkington is now part of the Grontmij group – One of Europe’s largest sustainable design and environmental consultancy. The company will began to trade under the Grontmij name from early 2011.
The practice employs more than 40 people in offices across the United Kingdom. The landscape architect team within Grontmij specialises in award-winning landscape master planning, environmental impact assessment and scheme design for major projects in commercial and residential development, education, healthcare and leisure. Community consultation and multi-disciplinary collaboration are at the heart of the practice.